Optical rotatory dispersion and vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism of poly[(R)‐oxypropylene

Abstract

AbstractThe circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of poly[(R)‐oxypropylene] in a number of solvents has been measured in the vacuum ultraviolet region. Two CD bands were measured for cyclohexane, acetonitrile, and trifluoroethanol solutions. The CD spectrum was extended to 140 nm and three bands were measured in a 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol solution. The similarity of these four CD spectra in sign, shape, and intensity confirm that poly[(R)‐oxypropylene] has similar conformations in all solvents studied, even though the optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) in the visible region is positive for the cyclohexane solution but negative for the alcohol solutions. A Kronig–Kramers transform of the two CD bands observed for the cyclohexane solution accounts for the observed positive ORD spectrum. In contrast, a third large and negative CD band centered below 160 nm is necessary to account for the negative ORD spectra observed for the alcohol solutions. Apparently the anomalous sign variation of the ORD curves observed in the visible region is due to subtle changes in the interplay of a large number of CD bands. Solvent interaction, observed as a blue shift of the first two CD bands for the alcohol solutions, could produce the subtle changes necessary to change the sign of the ORD curve in the visible region. The first two CD bands of poly[(R)‐oxypropylene] are tentatively assigned as nσ* and the third as an n3s.